Coin-operated vending machine



Jur 27,1926.

'- T. F; LORENTZEN com OPERATED vnnpme MACHINE Filed Jan. 2. 1926 4 sheeteg lieetil /M I. I 4 m6 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1,593,906 1'. F. LORENTZEN com OFBRATED vnub'me KA-GHINNE' med Jari. 2, 1926 4 Sh eets-Sheet' 2 INVENTOR T50 YD ZOEE/VTZE 7 ATTORNEY T. F. LORENTZEN COIN OPERATED VENDING IACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1925 4 Sheets-sheaf; 4 v

v I I 1 Y 1 NVENTQR E Z f/Zro omen 225W ATTORNEY Patented July 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,593,905 PATENT OFFICE.

THORNTON FLOYD LORENTZEN, GF ENGLENOOD, NEW JERSEY.

COIN-OPERATED VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed January 2, 1926. Serial No. 78,731.

from is given a choice and may withdraw not only the brand or kind of cigarette desired but also be provided with a match. lVhile the invention is primarily designed to be used with a suitable coin control, it will be understood that it may be used without such control.

A still further object of the invention is tO PIOVllCiG a machine of the above type which will be simple in construction and positive in operation.

lVith the above and other objects in View the machine consists in the novel combination and construction of parts set forth in the: claims appended hereto and as here inafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof mainly in section showing the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of one of the pull rods of the machine, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 isa transverse section taken on the chine.

In the several figures of the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the casing of the machine, 2 the base thereof, and 3 the lid which can be raised or lifted off to give access to carrier forming a part of the present ma v the cigarettes.

the interior of the machine for inspection or restocking purposes. I

The interior of the casing of the machine illustrated is divided by suitable partitions into three compartments or containers 4, 5 and 6, the two outside compartments 4 and 6 being intended to receive different brands or kinds of cigarettes respectively and the central compartment 5 being intended to hold matches, the idea as herein before outlined being that any person desiring to obtain a cigarette from the machine is given a choice and can withdraw a cigarette of the brand selected from the nachine, together with a match from the interposed compartment whicliis common to both cigarette compartments, the two articles being automatically delivered by pulling out the proper pull rod.

Between each cigarette and match compartment is provideda pull rod compartment 7.

The machine shown in the drawings is designed to contain but. two brandsfof cigarettes, one brand in the compartment 4 and one brand in the compartment 6 but it will be obvious that any 12, with a space 14 left therebetween so that the bottom cigarettes 16 in thehopper can rest on a conveyor or carrier 18 disposed immediately below the hopperand space 14 and which carrier is adapted to receive, in

a slot 20 therein, one cigarette at a time.

The carrier 18 is rectangular in plan and at its outer side is provided with a downturned flange 21, the lower edge of which rests on a platform 22 in the compartment fixedto the rear wall of the casing and extending horizontally forward for some distance where it is curved suddenly clownward and forward and then upward to provide an exit chute 23 from the machine for The slot 20 extends transversely across the carrier and is conveniently formed by slitting the metal thereof and turning it down to provide front and rear barriers 24 and number of brands can be taken care of by increasing former.

26 for the slot so that on the movement of the carrier on the platform the cigarette will be rolled along the latter with the 'lhese barriers and the flange 21 fom the means whereby the carrier can slide on the platforn'i. 7

(En that side adjacent the central match compartment 5, each carrier *8 is provided with a lateral extension whichprojects into the juxtaposed pull rod compartment 7 and such extension is provided with pressed out straps 27 which are secured to the pull rod as by screws 32. its will be clear more particularly from Fig. 3 "the en tensions 25 pass over the top of said pull rods and at their extremities are provided with a down-turned flange 34; from which projects a pin 36 adapted to control the movements of the match carrier as w ll be hereinafter described. i r V The various partitions are provided with appropriate slots to permit the carrier eX- tensions 25 and pins 36 to pass therethrough as will he understood.

As will be seen more clearly from Figs. 5 and 6 each .pull rod comprises a handle or knob 4.0 disposed on the outside front face of the casing from which extends, through a socket 422, into the interior of the machine, that is to say, into the compartment 7, a rod 4.4L- .to the rear end of which is attached, as

by a screw 46, one end of a spring 4'18, the

other end of which is attached to the rear wall of the machine.

' (lo-operating with the rod 4A- is a second rod and it is to :be observed that it is to this latter rod that the straps 27 of the extensions 25 of the carriers 18 are connected by the screws 32, these latter serving also to secure to said rod 50 a sleeve 52 which e11- more, .the rod 44 is provided with a stop 58.

and'with a groove in which works a key 62 to prevent the rotation of the pull rod and its connected parts with relation to the other parts of the machine.

When the handle 40 is pulled outwardly to the limit of its movement the attached carrier 18 has of course also moved forward carrying in its slot 20 a ci 'are'tte, until the front barrier 24 of said slot has passed the front edge of its supporting platform and the rear barrier 26 is in line therewith or approximately so; consequently the cigarette now drops :down the chute 23 and is delivered by the machine to the purchaser.

The construction of the compartment -3 for the matches 90, the hopper, platform and connected chute therefor are identical with those parts provided for the cigarettes and are therefore indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

realized that such carrier 92 actuated, not by a push rod directly as in the case of through either of the cigarette carriers disposed on either side of it. It has however the same general rectangular formation and at its two opposite sides adjacent the compar ments 7 is formed with a' downturned flange and in the flanges so provided are out long slois 96 in which are adapted to work the pins 36 of .t is cigarette carrier eaten sions 25. It is also provided with a return ing spring 98 and with a transverse slot IOU formed for example; by suitably slitting the metal and then turning this down to form the slot and at the same time provide front and rear barriers 104: and 106 for the mat-ch identical with the cigarette barriers 2% and 26.

The slot is of course only wide enough to take one match and in order that the same shall lie horizontally in the slot pro-- vision must be made for Keeping thereof from contacting directly with'the platform. The head would of course owing to its larger s ze upset the horizontal disposition of the match and would lead to difficulties in that a further match or matches might partly fall-into the slot and cause the carrier to jamb when the slot reaches the downward projecting bottom 10 of the'hop-- per. To this endthe platform is provided with a pair 'ofeupstanding rails or ridges 110 which work in slots .112 out in the barriers 10 i and 106.

The various compartments can be pro vided with windows so that the interi ors thereof canbe readily inspected The operation of the mach ne will already be clear in general from what has been said above; it therefore need only now be noted that when the corresponding handle l0 is pulled out through said levers the connected cigarette carriage will be pulled forward until the transverse slot '20 therein carrying; a cigarette passes the end of the platform 22 when the cigarette will be free :to fall down the chute 2 to the outside of the machine.

Simultaneously the match carrier 92 has been drawn forward by the appropriate pin 36 carrying along a match .in the slot 100 which match is also free ,to drop into the centre chute 2-3 when the slot passes the forward end of :the central platform 22. On the release of the knob 40 the springs 48 and :98 will respectively return the cigarette and match carriers to their original positions and on such return movement anothercigarette will fall into the slot '20 and another match into the slot 160 ready for the next operation of the machine;

cigarette carrier but indirectly by such rod the head 1 It is to be noted that the length of the space 14 in the sloping bottoms of the compartments 4, 5 and 6 is such that a plurality of cigarettes or matches, as the case may be, are always free to rest on the carrier immediately therebeneath. Thus, on the return of the carriers to their normal position one of said cigarettes or matches is bound to drop into the slot provided, thereby insuring a positive refilling of the carrier on every of such return movements.

It will be understood that the machine hereinbefore described with reference tothe vending of cigarettes and matches, may also be used for other articles either with or without modifications falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim and desire ters Patent is 1. A vending machine comprising a plurality of hopper-like compartments, a movable carriage having a recess therein be neath each hopper, a supporting platform beneath each carriage, a pull rod located be tween each two adjacent compartments, means whereby two simultaneously adjacent carriages can be actuated to deliver articles carried thereby by the operation of asingle pull rod, and means for returning the parts to their normal position.

2.'In a vending machine a pair of hopper-like containers for the articles to be vended, a movable carriage beneath each hopper, a fixed platform located beneath each carriage, a pull rod located between said carriages, means for connecting one of said carriages to said pull rod, means for connecting the other carriage to thatconnected to the pull-rod, means whereby said two carriages can be actuated to deliver articles carried thereby on the operation of the pull rod, and means for returning said parts to their normal position on the release of the pull rod.

to secure by Let- 3. In a vending machine, a pair of hop-4 per-like containers for the articles to be vended, a movable carriage having an article-receiving slot located beneath each hopper, a fixed platform located beneath and supporting each carriage, a two-part pull rod disposed between said carriages, an extension on one of'said carriages forming a connection'with one part of said pull rod, means to enable the carriages to be moved to discharge the articles carried thereby from the machine. and means for automatically returning the parts to their normal position on the release of the pull rod.

4. In a vending machine, a pair of hoppartments and the centrally-disposed match container, a two-part pull rod located in each of said mechanism compartments, a movable carriage having an article-carrying slot underneath each hopper, a fixed platform under each carriage, a lateral extension on each cigarette carriage connected toone part of the adjacent pull rod, a pin carried by each extension projecting into the path of the match carriage, selective means whereby either cigarette carriage and the central match carriage can be moved to discharge a cigarette and a match from t machine, and means for automatically returning said parts to their normal position on the release of the pull rod.

5. In a vending machine, a pair of hop per-like containers for different kinds of cigarettes, a like container for matches disile posed therebetween, an operating mechanism compartment arranged between each of said cigarette compartments and the centrally-disposed match container, a pull rod located in each of said mechanism compartments, a movable carriage having a slot adapted to carry one cigarette underneath each cigarette hopper, the length of the openings in each cigarette hopper being such however that a plurality of cigarettes can rest on the said carriers, a movable carriage having a slot adapted to carry one match underneath the match hopper, the length of the opening in said hopper being such however that a plurality of matches can rest on said match carrier, a platform supporting each of said carriages, a lateral extension on each cigarette carriage connected to one part of the adjacent pull rod, a pin carried by each extension projecting into the path of the match carriage, means whereby elther cigarette carriage and the I match carriage can be moved to discharge a cigarette and a match from the machine, and means for automatically returning said parts to their normal position on the release of the pull rod.

6; In a vending machine, a pair of hopper-like containers for different kinds of cigarettes, a like container for matches'disposed therebetween, an operating mecha nism compartment arranged between each of said cigarette compartments and the centrally-disposed match container, a pull rod located in each of said mechanism compartments, a..movable carriage having a slot adapted to carry one cigarette underneath each cigarette hopper, the length 'of the openings in each cigarette hop aer being such however that a plurality of cigarettes can rest on the said carriers, a movable carriage having a slot adapted to carry one match underneath the match hopper, the

length of the opening in said hopper being 7 such however that a plurality of matches can rest on said match carrier, a platform supporting each of said 'carrlages, a lateral IOU tive means whereby either cigarette carriage and the match carriage can be moved to discharge a c garette and a match from the machine, and means for automatically 1e turning said parts totheir normal position on the release of the pull rod.

'7. In ,a. vending machine, a hoppeikhlze container for matches, a movah'lecarmage having a barriered slot therein adapted to receive one match at a time disposed beneath the opening of said hopper, a supporting platform disposed beneath said carriage, apair ot spaced-apart upwardly projecting rails carried by said platform on which the match in the carriage slot can rest and be carried horizontally; a chute at the end of said ails, and means for moving said carriage to discharge a match from said slot into said chute. v

8. In a vending machine, a pair or" hopper-like containers for cigarettes, a likecontainer for matches dis nosed therebetween a V 7 tainer and the central Vina tch container, .a movable carriage having a barriered transver e slot adapted to carry a cigarette. underneath each cigarette hopper, a flanged movable carriage having tnansverse Ibarriered slot adapted .to carry a ,match t nder neath the match hoppena platform supporting each of said carriages, gmeans onfthe match carrier platform for maintaining a match in a horizontal posit-ion in the slot-of said carrier, an extension securing each'ci'garette carriage to one part of the adjacent pull rod, a f pin carried by each extension projectingeach into a slot in the flange of the match carriage, selective means whereby either cigarette carriage and the match carriage can be moved to discharge a cigarette and a match from the machine, and means for automatically returning said parts to their normal position on the release oi the pull rod. V i

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

mention F ona toatrirzt'u. 

